Laughing
by matrixaffiliate
Summary: Harry loves his wife, but he really loves her when it's time to leave. Post A post-Deathly Hallows Harry/Ginny fluff story. One-shot. Canon compliant. Rated T.


**Laughing**

 **A/N: A post-Deathly Hallows Harry/Ginny fluff story. Cannon compliant. Rated T. Everything belongs to JKR.**

Harry Potter loved his wife Ginny Potter. He loved her first thing in the morning waking up in one of his shirts that was too big for her and a pair of short shorts, her fiery red hair a mess of tangles. He loved her in her Harpies uniform when she played quidditch, and the confident competitive smile it put on her face. He loved her in blue jeans and a t-shirt at the Burrow helping out with dinner and any other chores that needed doing. He loved her in winter when she'd wrap up in a big soft sweater and curl up on the couch in their apartment with a cup of peppermint tea and a book. And while Harry always loved Ginny, he especially loved her in the emerald cocktail dress she had recently purchased and was wearing tonight.

Standing with a group of Ministry officials of some sort paying them little attention and staring at his beautiful wife while she spoke with Hermione and another group of Ministry workers, Harry had checked out of the conversation at hand. The dress hugged her in just the right ways, and with her red hair cascading down her shoulder Harry had found it difficult to leave the apartment when she had come out of the bedroom ready to apparate to the Ministry Party. Ginny had smirked at his objections and left Harry wishing they could forgo the party entirely.

The evening had been almost torturous. The majority of the Ministry workers and officials looked at Harry as a chess piece to be won and used, and the only reason Harry hadn't blown half of them into next week was due to his relationship with Kingsley and his desire to not make things any harder on him than they already were.

But tonight was pushing Harry to his wit's end, and the worst part was that it seemed that Ginny knew she was torturing him further. She seemed to take delight in moving just the right way, staying just close enough to keep his almost undivided attention but just far enough out of reach to drive him mad. It was almost worse than the agonizing months of his sixth year at Hogwarts because now Ginny was his wife but this damned party kept him from being able to do anything about it.

Harry checked his watch as the small talk around him droned on. They'd been there a full hour, but the party was to continue for several more. He groaned internally.

As he dropped his wrist with a bit of a huff, Ginny and Hermione walked past him laughing about something as they headed toward the bar. Probably without noticing, Ginny brushed up against Harry, giving him the opportunity to breathe in her flowery scent completely. It took every fiber in his being to not grab her right there and kiss her.

He was done. As politely as he possibly could, Harry excused himself from the group that had surrounded him and followed after his wife.

Ginny was waiting her turn at the bar when Harry walked up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist, burying his face in her hair and breathing her in.

"Hey stranger!" She laughed. "What brings you here?"

"Don't play coy Mrs. Potter. You're driving me mad!" Harry whispered, hoping to convince Ginny it was time to leave.

"Don't worry dear," she said as she patted him on the cheek. "I'll find you a good home and caretaker and spend every last penny of your inheritance on having fun without you."

"You can be a cruel woman Gin." Harry pouted as he straightened but kept her firmly in his embrace.

"I could make it up to you, I'm sure." And she leaned back into him.

Just as Harry was about to answer Ron walked over, "You'll end up in the paper again behaving like that."

"Like we're married?" Ginny scoffed. "The rest of the wizarding world needs to get a life. Our relationship is no different than anyone else's, except that I would wager we love each other more."

"I'm just warning you is all." Ron responded lightly, throwing back the rest of his drink.

"I'm not too concerned." Harry shrugged. "Kingsley has done a pretty good job encouraging truth in the news and so none of the stories are too ridiculous, thankfully." Then Harry smiled at Ron. "But your concern for the wellbeing of the Prophet reporters is very becoming."

Ron laughed and his grinned turned mischievous as he spotted Hermione. "Maybe I'll see if I can pull some of the attention away from you two..." And with a wink he went to join his wife.

"Where were we?" Ginny asked spinning around and crossing her arms behind Harry's neck.

Harry took confidence from the gesture and resumed his efforts to convince Ginny to leave. "You were being cruel and then had promised to make it up to me."

"I don't remember any promises." Ginny said raising an eyebrow.

"You don't?" Harry feigned surprise. "I'm sure you promised right after you said that this party was the biggest bore and you were craving some excuse to leave."

Ginny caught his meaning and gave him a sly smile. "So I want to leave?"

"Oh yes." Harry responded resting his forehead against hers. "You've absolutely had it with all the politicking and you can't take your eyes off of me or your mind off of what you'd rather be doing with me."

Ginny's smile took on a look of triumph. "Hermione owes me a galleon!"

Harry straightened confused. "What?"

Ginny ignored his question and instead took his hand. "Come on." And she walked toward where Hermione and Ron were talking.

"Pay up." Ginny demanded when they reached them.

"You're not serious!" Hermione started as Ginny held out her hand and Harry and Ron watched on confused.

"I won, now pay up." Ginny's face was filed with victory and while Harry found it incredibly alluring he was still very confused.

"What's all this about Gin?" He asked again as Hermione fished a galleon out of her purse and placed it in Ginny's out stretched hand.

"I'll explain later love, but weren't you just telling me how much I wanted to leave? A gentleman wouldn't make his dear wife endure any more of this boredom. He would take her home and find some better entertainment for a Saturday evening."

Still confused but not wanting to miss his chance at escape, Harry offered Ginny his arm and led her out to the apparation area, as Ron began asking all of the questions that Harry was thinking as well.

Once safe inside their apartment, Ginny turned and kissed Harry full force. Happily obliging her, Harry ran his hands up her back and into her hair as she wrapped a leg around his. Her lips tasted of fire whiskey and her hair smelled of flowers. The fabric of her dress was soft and silky under his fingers and was the perfect complement to the smoothness of her skin.

Moving his lips to her neck and that spot that made her purr, Harry pulled her body into his. Ginny's hands tightened in his hair and he moaned into her neck.

"Merlin, I love to win!" She breathed.

Her comment brought Harry back to reality, and he straightened.

"What was that with Hermione? What did you win?"

Ginny laughed. "Hermione was telling me a couple weeks ago that Ron always tries to get her to leave those parties early. She was going on and on about it, and so I bet her that I could get you to leave before Ron got her to leave. She didn't believe me, so I put money to it."

Harry smiled. "So that's why you kept toying with me."

"Hey, it was me who wanted to leave remember?" Ginny said playfully.

"Oh yes, after you told me that you'd make enduring your cruelty worth it." Harry ran his hands up and down Ginny's sides as he leaned in closer to her. "You may have won the bet with Hermione, Mrs. Potter, but you have scores to settle with me." And in one swift motion Harry lifted Ginny over his shoulder and carried her laughing into their bedroom.

Harry Potter loved his wife Ginny Potter, and today he decided he loved her best when she was laughing.


End file.
